Effects of Different N Rates and Concentrations of Fe and Zn on Grain Quality Applied at the Booting Stage of Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in the South-Eastern Zone Tigray, Ethiopia
Yonas Gebremariam *
Tigray Agricultural Research Institute, Axum Agricultural Research Center, P.O.Box. -230, Axum, Ethiopia.
Berhanu Abrha
Department of Dryland Crops and Horticultural Sciences, College of Dryland Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mekelle University, Mekelle, Ethiopia.
Addis Abrha
Department of Dryland Crops and Horticultural Sciences, College of Dryland Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mekelle University, Mekelle, Ethiopia.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The application of nitrogen, Fe, and Zn fertilizers corresponding to reproductive development leads to a higher level of protein synthesis and an improvement in grain quality. Therefore, the study was carried out to evaluate the effect of the rate of late nitrogen fertilizer and the application of Fe and Zn in the foliar medium on the quality of bread wheat. The experiment was carried out in split plot design, with three replications in two locations in the Southeastern Tigray zone, Ethiopia. Where the main plots were assigned with three rates of late application nitrogen fertilizer treatments: N1= control, N2= 25kg of urea/ha and N3= 50kg of urea/ha at the booting stage and the subplots were assigned with four levels of foliar application of Fe and Zn at the start stage: MI1= Control, MI2 = Fe at 12kg/ha, MI3= Zn at 10kg/ha, and MI4= Fe at 12kg/ha + Zn at 10kg/ha. Data such as grain protein content, grain iron, and grain zinc were collected. Analysis of variance showed that all parameters were significantly affected (P<0.05) by the interaction effect of late application N and foliar application Fe and Zn. The combination of N3 with MI4 offered the highest grain protein content (11.82%) and grain iron (31.12 mg/kg); whereas highest grain zinc (24.58 mg/kg) of N3 with MI3. Therefore, it can be concluded that applying 50 kg/ha of urea from the late application of nitrogen fertilizer and foliar application of Fe and Zn in the booting stage in combination considerably improved the grain protein content and grain concentration of Fe, while applying 50 kg/ha of urea from the late application of nitrogen fertilizer and the foliar application of Zn in the booting stage improve the grain concentration of Zn bread wheat.
Keywords: Bread wheat, foliar application, iron, late application, zinc